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For Immediate Release
Contact: Joel Snyder, Director, Audio Description Project
(202) 467-5083
The White House Is Described!
American Council of the Blind Welcomes Audio Described Tour of The White House
WASHINGTON, February 7, 2013–The American Council of the Blind welcomes the recent announcement by the White House that it now has audio described tours available to the public.
The announcement from The White House provides additional detail:
“The audio tour features welcoming remarks from Mrs. Obama followed by a room-by-room audio description of the highlights and features of the White House. The audio tours are only available on MP3 players that will be provided by the White House to those requesting the audio tour. The players must be requested at the time the request for a tour is made through a Member of Congress, and will be available on a first come, first serve basis. The (public tours) are available from 7:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. Tuesday through Thursday, 7:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Fridays, and 7:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Saturdays (excluding federal holidays or unless otherwise noted). Requests can be submitted up to six months in advance and no less than 21 days in advance. For more information on tours, please go to:
“Audio Description uses words that are succinct, vivid, and imaginative to convey the visual image from television, film, DVDs, theater, museums and many other settings,” stated Mitch Pomerantz, president of the American Council of the Blind. "This exciting development is particularly appropriate coming just as the 21st Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act mandate for audio description on broadcast television takes effect. The White House initiative makes an important icon of American culture accessible to people who are blind or have low vision.”
Additional information about ACB’s Audio Description Project is available at:
About the American Council of the Blind
The American Council of the Blind is a national membership organization. Its members are blind, visually impaired, and fully sighted individuals who are concerned about the dignity and well-being of blind people throughout the nation.
Formed in 1961, the ACB is one of the largest organizations of blind people in the world, with more than 70 state and special-interest affiliates and a nationwide network of chapters and members spanning the globe.
For more information about the American Council of the Blind, contact: Melanie Brunson, Executive Director, American Council of the Blind, 2200 Wilson Blvd., Suite 650, Arlington, VA 22201; phone (202) 467-5081 or toll-free, 1-800-424-8666; or visit the web site,
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